Racing Night: Once Upon a Time—and Still Here. Breaking the Rules Always Works

Once upon a time there was the Racing Night: it was the roaring ’90s of Superbike and in Misano they raced on Saturday evening, in the height of the beach season. The grandstands were packed, and on track the superstars of the era put on a literal fireworks show.

Back then, World Championship teams also took part in the Italian championship and, along with the best Italians, brought the foreign cream of the crop. On the grid were Davide Tardozzi, Stephane Mertens, world champion Fred Merkel, star Marco Lucchinelli, and the daredevils Fabrizio Pirovano and Giancarlo Falappa. It all aired live on Rai 2. In the press room, the leading outlets were represented by legendary journalism names that the over-50s will remember well: Ezio Pirazzini, GB Marchegiani, Lino Pizzo, just to name the icons.

It was a different era and a different kind of motorcycling; everything has changed now. But the Racing Night is still here and draws big crowds: 22,000 spectators over the weekend, 95% concentrated on Saturday evening from aperitivo time until late at night.

The CIV, overshadowed in the media by the World Championships, is nowadays an almost exclusively self-referential championship, in the sense that the six rounds are followed by a small band of super fans. Five years ago, the promoter—namely the Italian Motorcycle Federation itself—found the silver bullet: restore the myth of night racing, reviving a winning idea from the ’90s. A brilliant move that was an immediate hit and, through word of mouth and investment, has now become a flagship for the FMI, the CIV, and also the Misano World Circuit, a company increasingly geared toward the multifunctionality of the venue. Racing Night lasts three to four hours but draws a bigger audience than the entire CIV season. Above all, from a marketing standpoint, it carries the whole championship, since on this occasion it can offer the public and sponsors a spectacular big-event platform.

Racing Night is now more lifestyle than sport. The charm of a beautiful July sunset on the Riviera, the taste of summer, the thrill of stepping into the pit lane and snapping a selfie on the starting grid amid lights, flashes, and the roar of engines of today and yesterday, are a far stronger lure than the sporting event itself. Superbikes with headlights and fireworks at the finish may bring to us enthusiasts the adrenaline of the Suzuka 8 Hours grand finale, but for the many families in attendance it’s simply a beautiful life moment. It feels like being at a concert, and who’s playing ends up almost secondary. What matters is being there and living it up close. The Racing Night, by drawing from the past, has clearly filled a void: making races—even at national level—an event for a broad, general audience. If you think about it, it’s the same goal Liberty Media pursues in Formula 1 and MotoGP. In Misano, it was enough to look back, restoring the wonderful madness of the ’90s. Breaking the mold pays off, even in the stiff world of motorcycling.

In the Misano paddock, between one Sprint and another, the thought came naturally: why doesn’t the Superbike World Championship race here at night too? The idea would indeed be fantastic and would help bring the production-derived series back to its roots of obsessive innovation. WorldSBK became a legend by overturning the strict rules of Grand Prix racing: solo-lap qualifying, control tires, events held at circuits very close to major metropolitan centers like Monza and Brands Hatch.

Too bad this specific idea is practically unfeasible, and the first entity to hit the brakes is the MWC itself—precisely the one that, as organizer of the World Superbike round, would reap the most direct benefits. At the moment, Misano does not have a full lighting system like Qatar; here you have to run with headlights. Therefore, starting in full darkness would not meet the World Championship’s strict safety protocols. For the same reason—limited lighting—there would also be issues with TV production. It would be great, but it can’t be done. But who cares, there’s the CIV’s Racing Night.

Photo: Salvatore Annarumma

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